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The disability pay gap in the UK: What is the role of the public sector?

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  • Jones, Melanie

Abstract

Using data from the UK Quarterly Labour Force Survey we provide the first evidence on variation in the disability pay gap between the public and private sector. Decomposing the disability pay gap at the mean we find evidence of a sizable unexplained pay gap in both sectors, but this is narrower in the public relative to the private sector, consistent with greater pay equality in the public sector. The unexplained disability pay gap increases across the pay distribution particularly in the private sector, suggesting a ‘glass ceiling’. As such, our evidence suggests the public sector provides relative protection for disabled employees, especially at the top end of the wage distribution. This appears to be driven by the influence for females.

Suggested Citation

  • Jones, Melanie, 2024. "The disability pay gap in the UK: What is the role of the public sector?," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:labeco:v:91:y:2024:i:c:s0927537124001386
    DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2024.102642
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    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Disability pay gap; Public sector; Quarterly labour force survey; Wage decompositions; Wage distribution;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J14 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of the Elderly; Economics of the Handicapped; Non-Labor Market Discrimination
    • J31 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Wages, Compensation, and Labor Costs - - - Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials
    • J45 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Particular Labor Markets - - - Public Sector Labor Markets
    • J71 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Hiring and Firing
    • J78 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Discrimination - - - Public Policy (including comparable worth)

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